A MODEL FOR INTEGRATION OF CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING: SHARING ACROSS DISCIPLINES

Transcription

1 A MODEL FOR INTEGRATION OF CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING: SHARING ACROSS DISCIPLINES Megan M. Kalina and Mary U. Henderson College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, MN Introduction A business education at a Catholic college what does that mean? Is it distinctive when compared to a business education from a secular college? Should it be? We think that it should be. As educators of a Catholic college, we will explore one possible model to integrate Catholic social teaching within the mission of the Business Schools. Mission it all starts with mission. We have found most Catholic colleges and universities to have strong mission statements that are rooted in their Catholic faith and heritage. The overall institution mission must be branched out to academic departments so we as educators are able to make that come alive for students. The branching out of the mission to respective departments and the ultimate integration of Catholic social teaching within the curriculum can provide both opportunity and challenge (Brenden, 2006). We developed a learning process to guide us in gaining an understanding of Catholic social teaching within our business discipline. See Appendix 1 for the figure illustrating The Process of Integrating Catholic Social Teaching: Sharing Across Disciplines. A comprehensive model has emerged within our institution for discipline-based teaching to mission. This model can be a valuable reference for the Business Administration Department to consider in light of the challenges facing American businesses today. This paper will discuss the mission and identity of our institution, how another discipline s model answered the call to mission and integration of Catholic social teaching, learnings from that discipline s model, and the exploration of Business mission statements within the academic discipline of business at our institutions. Future steps, in adapting this model, will also be briefly addressed. According to Haughey (2008 Conference background paper), Catholic Business Schools are in a position to affect the whole world of business in a way that no other modern educational enterprise can. As business educators, if we believe this statement, we have a significant role in the careful development and living out of the mission that does justice to our respective institutions. This awareness and appreciation for mission has inspired us to consider the mission of Catholic institutions at both the college and business discipline level. Understanding our Mission and Identity The college s mission is tied closely to the vision, but it is not the same as the vision. Every college, in order to be accredited but more importantly, in order to exist with integrity must have a fundamental statement of mission. If the mission cannot embrace every single thing that we do, it must point toward that which we must do, that which no one else can do as we can, that

2 2 which defines our essence. So we have had a mission for nearly one hundred years And it is one of the defining strengths of a college when its threads of mission connect a long history of practice and innovation changing shape and form to speak to a new time, still fully consistent with the values and ideas of the founders In the end, a statement of mission should clarify the outer edges of an institution s identity, speak to who we are, our unique niche, our defining characteristics. It is the philosophical underpinning against which we measure all that we do. (Lee, 2001) The word mission is often used synonymously with purpose. It offers the rationale for an organization s work. In this section, the mission and identity of a religious order and the college they founded, will be reviewed. This material provides the foundational context for the College s campus-wide call to mission to integrate Catholic social teaching throughout the institution. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJ) founded the College of St. Catherine in They have a rich heritage of serving in their communities. The Sisters are active in leading schools, hospitals, and social service agencies. The CSJ charism has a commitment to a variety of places and types of work, since our mission of uniting neighbor with neighbor and neighbor with God can take place in nearly any setting. The Sisters are women of faith, sustained by their love of God, who through their ministries reach out to a world in distress to help the Dear Neighbor. ( According to Hilgers (2007), the Sisters are impelled by a mission that guides our interactions with one another and with our neighbors (p.6). This focus on others is foundational in their purpose. Their Consensus Statement reads: "The Sister of St. Joseph moves always towards profound love of God and love of neighbor without distinction" ( The Sisters of St. Joseph state the following about their identity: We are an order of sisters in the Roman Catholic communion, and consociates of many Christian traditions, in collaboration for mission. Our community was founded in south-central France in 1650, and now includes about 14,000 sisters and associates in 55 countries around the world. There are about 320 sisters and about 100 consociates in the St. Paul Province of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet ( The Sisters and the College share a common purpose focusing on social responsibility within the Catholic tradition. Today, the Sisters are visibly present and actively involved in numerous community ministries and on the College s Board of Trustees and faculty. The College of St. Catherine

3 3 The College of St. Catherine s mission guides the administration, faculty, staff, and students in their work. It is an empowering statement that is well-known and is frequently referenced in the ongoing work of the College: The College of St. Catherine educates women to lead and influence. Founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1905, the College integrates liberal arts and professional education within the Catholic traditions of intellectual inquiry and social teaching. Committed to excellence and opportunity, the College engages students from diverse backgrounds in a learning environment uniquely suited to women. Education at the College of St. Catherine prepares graduates to demonstrate ethical leadership grounded in social responsibility. ( The Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet breathed life into this mission that is very much alive today, 103 years after the founding of the college. Years later, the College continues to operate according to its original purpose or mission. The College of St. Catherine Undergraduate Catalog (2007), states: As the largest undergraduate women s college in the country, St. Catherine s provides something very special. That something is a spiritual and ethical grounding, which prepares our students for lives and leadership roles that make a positive impact on the people and communities they serve. (p. 7) The College s mission is grounded in the Catholic traditions of intellectual inquiry and social teaching. (College of St. Catherine, 2007, p.7). Specifically, the College states the following about its Catholic identity: Throughout the history of the College of St. Catherine, founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, we have been dedicated as a campus community to our Roman Catholic heritage and identity. In light of the rich and diverse history of the Church and the vision of Vatican II, we affirm aspects of that identity that are particularly appropriate to higher education. From the Church's intellectual tradition, which has equated the search for truth with true liberation, we value an open atmosphere of critical inquiry, cross-cultural studies and interdisciplinary teaching. From its social tradition, with its consistent commitment to the poor and outcast, we value and reach out to those marginalized by our society and churches, and in particular, we seek to promote women's leadership. From its sacramental tradition, which has emphasized ritual, symbol and the use of material things as signs of grace, we value the integration of the material and spiritual, and the use of creative rituals for prayer and celebration. From the tradition that has stressed both communal participation and the worth of the individual, we value dialogue, respect for diversity and the nurturing of personal conscience. From the call of Jesus himself, that all should be one (John 17:21), we value ecumenism and collaboration among all faiths. ( The Sisters founded St. Catherine s with a vision to make this college the best and highest school of its kind in the Northwest (Ryan and Wolkerstorfer, p3). In a contemporary sense, this quest for excellence and the realization of the College s mission and vision to educate women to lead and influence, emphasizes leadership. Anita M. Pampusch (1992), a former President of

4 4 the College, stated: We are developing a reputation as the place for women to develop leadership skills and improve their self-esteem (Ryan and Wolkerstorfer, p. viii). The College created a Leadership Statement in 1988 and it continues as a visible, present guideline for the College today, twenty years later. In this statement, the College states it is committed to the development of effective, ethical leaders and also the values of justice and caring. ( The College s mission based upon its Catholic identity, women, the liberal arts, and social responsibility; its vision of educat[ing] women to lead and influence; and its focus on leadership; offer a meaningful environment in which to explore mission within a business school. A mission-focused initiative about Catholic identity at the College, sponsored by the Myser family, will be reviewed next. The Myser Initiative on Catholic Identity The inspirational legacy of the Sisters work, their values, charism, and deep commitment to social justice, are visibly present on the campus today. In support of this legacy, vision and mission, the College s Myser Initiative on Catholic Identity facilitates the infusion of Catholic identity by enabling the faculty to integrate into the curriculum the Church s great intellectual tradition and Catholic Social Teachings (Lee, 2004). As stated earlier, Catholic identity is one of three significant areas of the mission at the College. The Catholic identity is integrated throughout the campus in coursework and woven throughout programs. The Myser Initiative at the College supports this valuable mission work: The purpose of the Myser Initiative events is to illuminate and reinforce for faculty, staff, students, and alumnae the deep rich gifts for life and faith that come from our Catholic tradition and beliefs. Within these efforts, all participants develop a common language with which to understand and share their own beliefs ( Through the work of the Myser Initiative, the College focuses on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching: human dignity, community/common good, rights and responsibilities, priority for the poor and vulnerable, participation, solidarity, stewardship, governance/subsidiarity, and the promotion of peace. (College of St. Catherine Myser Initiative Materials). Additionally, the College s awareness of the Catholic intellectual tradition centers around: faith and reason, goodness of God, analogical imagination, sacramental worldview, heritage of the past, all are welcome, call to community, social responsibility, and spirit of hope. (College of St. Catherine Myser Initiative Workshop Materials). The Myser Initiative allows the faculty, staff, and students to participate in workshops, hear guest speakers, and learn about Catholic identity, the Catholic intellectual tradition, and Catholic social teaching. This integration approach engages the entire community and moves it forward with this mission-critical work. Specifically, in the summer of 2007, we attended an intra-campus faculty workshop about the Catholic intellectual tradition and Catholic social teaching. Faculty applied for the opportunity to participate in this first-time week-long workshop. In subsequent faculty panels, participants shared very positive feedback about their experiences. As a result, a number of these professors responded to the call to mission and implemented more content about the principles of Catholic social teaching into

5 5 their courses. These integrative efforts continue at the College due to the call to mission as faculty become more knowledgeable about the Catholic intellectual tradition. A recent Catholic identity initiative, Social Work for Social Justice, was successfully launched in the School of Social Work, a joint School of the College of St. Catherine and the University of St. Thomas. This model was shared with us at the Myser Initiative Workshop in the summer of We saw great value in this model and its potential application to other disciplines, such as business. We have continued to learn more about this it through ongoing consultations with its project director. Social Work for Social Justice Model Within the College, a model has emerged for discipline-based teaching to mission. The School of Social Work, a joint program with the University of St. Thomas, has implemented Social Work for Social Justice: Strengthening Social Work Practice through the Integration of Catholic Social Teaching (2006). This program, like others starting to emerge at the College, employs an integration approach with a goal of weaving Catholic social teaching and the Catholic intellectual tradition throughout the curriculum as described in the aforementioned manual here: Out of its firm commitment to social justice and by virtue of the Catholic mission of our sponsors, the College of St. Catherine and the University of St. Thomas, the School of Social Work recognizes Catholic Social Teaching as a rich resource to inform and further specify social justice goals of social work education and practice. Catholic Social Teaching (CST) represents a tradition of social ethics which has derived from multiples sources, including scripture, papal encyclicals, Episcopal statements and writings of theologians. (Section One) The Social Work for Social Justice model is based upon the four pillars: Faculty Development, Student Participation, Curriculum Analysis/Integration/Development, and Advisory Committee (Section One). The focus of our learning about this model is on the Faculty Development area. According to this manual, the Faculty Development area is comprised of the following initiatives: Faculty development: This component has engaged faculty in: becoming familiar with principles of Catholic Social Teaching (CST). discovering the complementarity between CST and social work ethics. recognizing that CST provides a rich resource for curriculum development focused on justice. (Section One) This model is a valuable reference for the Business Administration Department to consider. The principles of Catholic social teaching, listed earlier in this paper, can be connected to the business-related disciplines of accounting, sales, marketing, and entrepreneurship. The foundational principles of Human Dignity and Community and the Common Good, make sense not only for students of social work and business administration. Brenden (2006) states: While human dignity and the common good emerge as the two most fundamental cornerstones of Catholic social teaching and are consistently evident in each and every principle/theme, social justice is the resilient and

6 6 unifying message throughout. This two-pronged vision of social justice (human dignity and the common good) is relevant to all social settings (family, workplace, economy, and government) and all levels of human relationship (community, nation, world). (p.3) In addition to the theoretical relevance, there is practical value for students to learn about business ethics through the lens of Catholic social teaching. As stated in Social Work for Social Justice (2006), Catholic higher education has a legacy of linking education to moral and ethical considerations (Section Two, page 6). The principles of Catholic social teaching are good for business. As in Social Work, business leaders work with people who should be treated with human dignity; these are employees, employers, suppliers, shareholders, and other stakeholders. As in Social Work, business leaders have responsibilities within their communities which are related to working toward the common good. According to Brian Rusche, Executive Director of Minnesota s Joint Religious Legislative Coalition, Catholic Social Teaching provides a first lens to look at nearly every social justice issue and seriously influences all our position statements (College of Saint Catherine/University of Saint Thomas School of Social Work, 2006). We believe this could also be the first lens through which to examine many business ethical issues. Connecting Model to Discipline The Model developed by the College of St. Catherine/University of St. Thomas School of Social Work is an excellent resource to be mirrored as consideration is given to the integration of Catholic social teaching within the Business Discipline. The first pillar of the model is faculty development. We decided to focus on the first pillar based upon our consultations with one of the authors of the model and it was determined that mission is the key to establishing the foundation for this work. Faculty development can include many facets and the one this paper will focus on is the web analysis of business mission statements. We thought it was important to begin with the purpose and thus, mission was the meaningful first area to address. An effective business mission statement that naturally branches from the institutional mission statement and explicitly highlights the Catholic heritage is key to setting the stage for a Catholic mission driven business school. If this mission is to drive us as faculty, then the development of that mission is of critical importance. We began by reviewing both institutional mission statements and business mission statements for Midwest Catholic Colleges and Universities having undergraduate enrollment greater than 1500 students. The National Catholic College Admission Association was used to identify the colleges and universities for our research and 37 schools met the criteria. The review was completed solely by web analysis. Information collected for this web analysis consisted of the following: Institutional Mission: Did the institutional mission explicitly reference its Catholic heritage? Did the institutional mission make reference to its affiliated religious order (if there is one)?

7 7 Business Mission: Did the business mission explicitly reference its Catholic heritage? Did the business mission make reference to its affiliated religious order? Did the business mission make reference to ethics and/or social responsibility? Midwest Catholic Colleges Web Research Results Institutional Mission Statement (37) Catholic - (35 out of 36 schools) 97.2 % mentioned Catholic in their institutional mission statement Affiliated Religious Order (34 out of 36) 94.4% mentioned an affiliated religious order in their institutional mission statement Of the 37 institutions, only one institutional mission statement could not be found. Business Mission Statement (37) Business mission statements were located for 59.5% (22 out of 37 schools) of the total schools. Catholic (6 out of 22 schools) 27.3% mentioned Catholic in their business mission statement. Affiliated Religious Order (8 out of 22 schools) 36.4% mentioned an affiliated religious order in their business mission statement. Ethics/Social Responsibility (20 out of 22 schools) 90.9% mentioned ethics/social responsibility in their business mission statement. Looking at the institutional mission statement almost all mention both their Catholic identity and their affiliated religious order. It would appear these two factors play a role in directing the work of the institution. The institutions researched have strong mission statements that visibly identify their Catholic heritage. A shift was observed while locating and reviewing business mission statements. We were only able to locate 22 (59.5%) business mission statements on the web. When included, they were also not as visible or easy to find as the institutional mission statements. Based on our review of the 22 business mission statements, only 6 (27.3%) explicitly mentioned Catholic in their mission. It brings up the following points for consideration: why are institutions more apt to mention Catholic in their institutional mission and not business mission; do some institutions find it difficult to visibly highlight this element of their identity; is it not acceptable in the business education arena; does it exist, just not explicitly stated in the mission but actively addressed within the curriculum. There appears not to be a visible link between the institutional mission of the Catholic identity and the business mission statement. This finding possibly merits further research.

8 8 It was also noted that 8 of the 22 (36.4%) business mission statements mentioned their affiliated religious order. While still not as high as at the institutional level, it was higher than its reference to Catholic. The following are points for consideration: why would business mission statements be more apt to mention affiliated religious order over their Catholic heritage; does the reference to religious order address how they will carry out their Catholic identity or do they think it automatically infers Catholic to readers? Bringing in the affiliated religious order and their vision can help provide direction to business schools. We found 20 (90.9%) business mission statements explicitly mention ethics and/or social responsibility. This finding is not surprising given the current business environment and the many ethical and illegal issues surrounding companies in the present and past. Business mission statements, when located, appear to be responding to the business environment s need for ethical and socially responsible employees. However, if considering all 37 schools, only 20 (59.5%) mentioned ethics and/or social responsibility. Thus, we pose the following points of consideration; can we as business educators go beyond the ethics focus and seek true integration of Catholic social teaching within the business discipline? Much has been learned from the web analysis of mission statements. However, as can be seen many questions have popped up requiring further reflection and exploration. According to Woo (2005) of Notre Dame we can advance our Catholic mission through witness.we can be witness by stating clearly who we are. A key point of reflection as we continue to explore business mission within our institution is, who are we? or maybe who do we want to be? Planning for the Future The model discussed above includes four pillars. We have begun the exploration process of the faculty development pillar. In this exploration, business mission statements have been reviewed and discussions with departmental colleagues around connecting Catholic social teaching and mission within our business discipline have occurred. We anticipate the value of continuing these conversations and inviting our colleagues to become involved in the process. An important step would be to reflect on our learnings and key insights from the Business Education at Catholic Universities Conference and share these key insights with our departmental colleagues. We will continue our conversations with the director of the Myser Initiative on Catholic Identity and the project director of the model, Social Work for Social Justice. We would like to discuss possibly realigning our responsibilities to allow us the necessary time and resources to continue to learn about the application of this model. This would allow us the time and provide us the necessary resources to focus on all pillars of this model. Conclusion Through this work we have gained a more thorough understanding of Catholic social teaching and the Catholic intellectual tradition. We now have a deeper respect for what it means to be called to mission within a Catholic College. While we have gained much knowledge throughout

9 9 this work we are also left with many unanswered questions. These questions beckon us forward to continue our work with the integration of Catholic social teaching. As we look with a more informed lens at the importance of these efforts we place renewed commitment to our ongoing mission related work to educate women to lead and influence. (

10 10 Bibliography Anderson, N. J. P.; Eldred, P.; Heinlen, K.; Heitzeg, N.A.; Hendricks, S.; & Ho, A.T. (Eds.). (2004) The reflective woman College of St. Catherine. Acton, MA: Copley Custom Publishing Group. Brenden, M.A. (2006). Social work for social justice: Strengthening social work practice through the integration of Catholic social teaching. Draft paper dated June 14, 2006 for Summer Seminar in Christian Scholarship: A Working Conference for Integrating Christina Faith and Social Work Practice Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan College of Saint Catherine. (2007). Undergraduate Academic Catalog The College of St. Catherine St. Paul, MN: The College of St. Catherine. College of Saint Catherine Myser Initiative Workshop Materials (2007). College of Saint Catherine/University of Saint Thomas School of Social Work (2006). Social work for social justice: Strengthening social work through the integration of Catholic social teaching. College of Saint Catherine Website, Dorr, D. (1992). Option for the poor: A hundred years of Catholic social teaching. (Revised edition). Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Press. Haughey, SJ, J. The door to a deeper beholding: The open narrative. A Background Paper for the Seventh International Conference on Catholic Social Thought and Management Education University of Notre Dame June 11 13, Woodstock Theological Center. Hilgers, CSJ, K. (2007, Fall). Our leadership mission. Possumus, 6. Kidder, R. (1995). How good people make tough choices resolving the dilemmas of ethical living. New York: Fireside. Kidder, R. (1994). Shared values for a troubled world. San Francisco: Jossey Bass. LaFollette, H. (2003). The oxford handbook of practical ethics. Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press. Lee, A. (2004, October). The Myser initiative on Catholic identity. Presentation about the Myser Initiative, The College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, MN. Lee, A. (2002, August). The heart of the matter. Speech presented at faculty/staff workshop address at The College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, MN. Lee, A. (2001, August). Mamma mia! Thank you for the music! Speech presented at faculty/staff workshop address at the College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, MN. MacIntyre, A. (1998). A short history of ethics a history of moral philosophy from the homeric age to the twentieth century. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press. Massaro, T., SJ. (2000). Living justice: Catholic social teaching in action. Franklin, WI: Sheed and Ward.

11 11 National Catholic Colleges Admissions Association Website. Naughton, M.; Bausch, T.; Fontana, J; & Pierucci, Ernest. Business education at Catholic universities: An exploration of the role of mission-driven business school. A Background Paper for the Seventh International Conference on Catholic Social Thought and Management Education University of Notre Dame June 11 13, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (2005). Compendium of the social doctrine of the church. Washington, D.C.: USCCB Publishing. Ryan, R. & Wolkerstorfer, J.C., CSJ. (1992). More than a dream: Eight-five years at the College of St. Catherine. St. Paul, MN: The College of St. Catherine. Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Website, Wolfe, A. (2001). Moral freedom the search for virtue in a world of choice. New York: W.W. Norton and Company. Woo, C. Y. (2005). Get real: Making the mission statement operational. Current Issues in Catholic Higher Education, 24(2),

12 APPENDIX I THE PROCESS OF INTEGRATING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING: SHARING ACROSS DISCIPLINES 12